i left a dozen roses on your grave today
by Empress of Everything
Summary: A knight is always there for his lady. Even in death. {LoLu. Part 1 of the Now That It's Over series. Based on Skillet's song Lucy.}


**A/N:** _Oh the angst. Y'all are just getting it in spades, aren't you? I love you too. So this is the first of a series of stories that are angsty!Lucy centric, all based on the song **Lucy** by Skillet. Yes, it's all angst and tragedy. No, I regret nothing. Yes, almost all the males I ship Miss Heartfilia with will appear. No, they are not connected in anyway except the song._

 _This one is more Loke-centric than anything but I think that's necessary for this sort of fic._

* * *

Loke stood silently in front of the grave. In his hand he held a bouquet of blood red roses. The rain came down steadily on his ginger head.

Had it really only been two weeks since her death? Since her bright spark had been snuffed out, life became darker.

A knight always gave his Lady flowers and she deserved only the best. She no longer needed his protection, because honestly, she had been more than capable of taking care of herself while she lived.

Quiet footsteps interrupted his reverie. His teammate and old friend stood silently in the rain next to him. "It's hard to believe she's actually gone, isn't it."

Loke didn't reply. How could he when his beloved was six feet underground? He would never see her again. That was a downside to immortality, he supposed. You could form bonds, fall in love, then watch silently as it all faded away.

Was it better to never love and hold yourself aloof from the very idea?

"Yeah, she's really gone." His voice was a croak as he gently set the blood red roses on Lucy's grave.

No, he decided, it was better to have loved and lost than never have loved at all.

* * *

Yukino knew how important it was for the lion to be able to visit his mistress's grave. She had saved him, literally, and in return he had been her protector, her knight. She hadn't just been his mistress. She was the woman he adored, who deserved better than a flirtatious lion spirit as a mate.

Now that Yukino was the holder of the Zodiac, things were quieter in the Spirit World. The white haired woman didn't get into near as much trouble as the blonde bombshell. There had been times where Lucy would call him out every 30 minutes to an hour. With Yukino, hours or even days would pass before they were needed. Sometimes Loke didn't mind the quiet.

Other days he felt like ripping out his hair.

Memories of Lucy and Fairy Tail were always on his mind. Every time he was summoned, everyone looked a little older, a little more worn. There were more children in the guild, something that warmed Loke's still broken heart, but years were passing. It was only natural that the humans would age. Gradually, faces began to be missing.

Freed and Evergreen, both dying on the same mission, leaving heartbroken families behind.

Both Mirajane and Minerva died of an outbreak of childbed fever in the same year.

Rogue, killed by a group of dark mages while protecting Frosch.

Master, his old heart finally giving out. So many of his children had died before him.

Most heartbreaking of all was being summoned for Gray's funeral. His oldest friend in Fairy Tail, Gray, had died protecting his children and wife from monsters. The first real tears Loke had shed since Lucy's death dripped down his cheeks as he watched Juvia struggle to comfort her sobbing sons. Lyon offered his strength to his mourning sister-in-law.

Loke could only stand in heartbroken silence. Gray had stood by him during the lion's exile. He'd really been the only true friend Loke had had in the guild. Even after Lucy saved him, his friendship had never wavered with the Ice Make mage. Gray had been the first person Loke ever considered his best friend.

Not even his master was immune from the inexorable march of old age. Celestial magic was draining on the body. Most mages didn't live past the age of forty and Yukino was rapidly approaching that number. She would leave behind her children and husband. The 12 Zodiac Keys would scatter among the remaining Celestial Mages.

After Yukino and Lucy, no Celestial mage ever held the entire Zodiac. Not until many centuries had passed.

* * *

The letters on the headstone had begun to fade. But her memory was as fresh in his mind as if it was yesterday that he had seen her last. He had never told Yukino's son Ankaa about Lucy. It was much too personal. He made sure in all his contracts to specify he was unavailable on Saturdays.

He visited his beloved on that day. No life shattering incidents would ever change that.

No matter how many keyholders he had, her memory would never die in his heart. His flirtiness died with her. It felt wrong to dishonor her in such a way.

From master to master, years went by as the key of Leo the Lion was passed down the Agria line.

 _Csilla_

She had first summoned him when she was sixteen, all big brown eyes and shy smiles. He had been proud to watch her grow stronger and more confident. He was her only Zodiac key.

 _Elanor_

When Csilla died fighting a dark mage, her twin sister Elanor took his key. He was reunited with Aries and Scorpio while in her care. After Elanor's death, the keys passed from hand to hand, but no one in the Agira family could use Celestial magic.

 _Estelle_

Two generations passed before another Celestial mage came along. Most of his keyholders had been quiet and shy women. Estelle was loud, brash, and prone to fits of violent anger. There were times he was unpleasantly reminded of Karen. Estelle had Virgo and Taurus's keys as well as Columba and Nikora. He was so grateful that she didn't have Aries.

He wished he wasn't forced into another repeat of the situation, but when Estelle began to abuse the gentle Columba, enough was enough. Loke had learned his lesson with Karen. And Lucy wasn't there to save him this time around. He told Estelle if she didn't stop hurting his friend, they would break their contracts with her and the keys would leave her key ring. She didn't believe him and suffered the consequences.

 _Dara_

Dara was the first male key holder Loke had in nearly four centuries. When the boy opened his gate for the first time, Loke had been stunned into silence.

Looking up at him was Gray Fullbuster's face. A dark haired lad, with lazy, drooping eyes, bare chested with the heart-achingly familiar fairy with a tail, he could have been Gray come back to life.

"Hello," the boy said, Gray's smirk brushing across his face. "I'm Dara Fullbuster. Would you like to make a contract with me, Leo?"

Loke's hands were shaking uncontrollably. It had been over two hundred Earthland years since Gray had died, long enough for the rest of the world to forget about one of the pillars of the old, third generation Fairy Tail. But for Loke, it had only been two years in the Spirit world. Gray's funeral came rushing back, Natsu's, Erza's, and Lucy's… oh, Spirit King, _Lucy…_

"Excuse me!" Loke's head snapped back to the boy. He looked to be about 16 or 17 and was peering at the lion spirit with concern. "Hey, are you okay? You kinda spaced out on me for a sec."

Loke straightened his shoulders and smiled at the boy. "It's nice to meet you, Dara. I would be pleased to make a contract with you."

The young man's eyes gleamed. "Really?" He exclaimed excitedly. "That's great!" Loke wondered how many keys Dara had a contract with. The Spirit world had been so quiet compared to past years. Nothing could compare to Lucy's time period for sheer insanity, that's for sure.

"So when are you available?" Dark eyes studied the lion spirit. Loke smiled. "I'm available any time you need me, except on Saturdays. I'm a combat spirit and I specialize in hand to hand." He hesitated for a moment. "I'm also a member of Fairy Tail."

Dara was the first person in almost two hundred years Loke told about Lucy.

"Hey, Lucy, how are you?" He ran a hand over the worn-down gravestone tenderly, a faint smile touching his lips. Dara stood at a respectful distance from the lion. "Things have been pretty quiet with me up until recently. But I bet you knew that already." He glanced over his shoulder at his key holder. "Dara is a wonderful master. It's rare for me to say that, you know, after you and Karen and all the others before her. A descendant of Gray Fullbuster," he grinned and ran a hand through his spiky mane. "Who would have guessed?"

Loke closed his eyes and tipped his head up to the sky. It was blue and cloudless and perfect. "I miss you, Lucy. I miss you so much." He sighed, opened his eyes, and looked back at the grave.

 _Lucy Pax Heartfilia_

 _X767-X799_

 _Beloved daughter, sister, friend, and mistress._

 _Queen of the Stars_

 _Light of Fairy Tail_

 _The Lion's Beloved_

"But I'm getting better."

 _No one could ever replace you in my heart. No matter how many masters I have, you will forever be the one I cherish the most. I wish we could have had more time together. I hope you're happy, my dearest. I love you, Lucy._


End file.
